Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-06-19

knew that he had mastered and made
his own the hitherto inviolable secret
of the Elixir OF Life.
Quick upon the stroke OF this inn
mense discovery come warning from
within that bis own days were num-
bered Was he then TO die before he
could prepare bis Elixir of Life?
His spiut was not dashed. for very
curiously his desire OF life ceased with
bis conviction that there was means
of cheating death. What he longcd for
now WIS time wherein TO perfect his
knowledge, that happier men might
profit by IT, So he toiled afresh, that
ne might win his secret TO the use Of
posterity.
II was sprnP, and the daylight
Heightened. Sunshine and budding
hedges comforted the world, and nature
herself seemed willing TO assist the
dropping alchcmist. But one night he
was seized with sudden faintness, and
sank half dead from lack Of sustenance,
while the experiment was ia the middle
stage. A month later he had similar
but sharper and more eXhausting
seizure. and then he began to know
that he should not live to make good
the secret Of the elixir.
Day followed day; the sun grew
warmer, and the blood in the alchcmist's
veins grew colder. One morning the
paper stopper of the bottle, contract
ing in the suns rays, fell out on TO the
dust Of the floor. In the genial warmth
81. o.. Il To-
evaporated. and the drug crystallizcd
in minute and almost colorless prisms
on the sides and bottom of the bottle.
Not all the softness OF spring and her
breath that made the buds unfold could
arouse again the fading fires in the
withered body of the alchemist. Life
was passing quickly from him who had
been the only living thing in the now
deserted studio. He crawled no step
back upon the road to health, and be
fore the summer was established he
died.
Feet that had not entered there be-
fore now trampled the dust of the
studio. All was confusion, uglier
great deal than the careless disarray
amid which the student had tOndly
worked. Auctioneers' clerks came and
made their inventory of the dead mans
poor belongings They attached stout
tables to articles of furniture which one
smait rap Of the salesman's hammer
would have shivered into fragments
The only objects left untouched were
a heap of old bottles in corner be-
meath the window, on which the dust
of wears had formed a coarse and solid
crust these, and the solitary bottle in
the window. They were not worth a
place in the catalogue nor label.
The morning after the sale fat, I'M
tidy cleaning woman strobe into the
room followed at distance which indi-
Gated fear if not respect 10y her hus-
band, a retired or superannuated cos
termonger. The great red eye Of the
cleaning woman ranged the area of the
studio, and noting such pcrquisites as
the remover had left her, she indicated
| them TO her husband, who collected and
slowed them in his basket. In the
coulse Of time the whole of this collec-
ton reached the sorting yard of rag,
bone. and bottle merchant. Here the
articles were sorted according to their
KIND, and presently an even row OF
black bottles and another row OF sea-
green bottles showed III what manner
order might be evolved ont of chaos.
The bottles arrived eventually at the
bottIe-cleaning yard Of a well-known
spirit-merChant, where they received
plentiful addition of warm water within
| and without. This spirit merchant was
a person of great talent in his calling,
who by judicious blending and treat
ment could produce a port ofrecognized
standing and condition effective for use
on a given night.
The bottles passed from the hands OF
the washer. having undergone rs eff
fectual cleaning as the skill of that
functionary could compass. Outwardly
they were now all alike. The eye OF
c0nnojssnr, equally with the eye OF a
/ superficial observer, would have failed
/ to distinguish the most insignificant
/ difference between them. | shall, how
/ ever. select one of these bottles. and
/ that not at random nor without design,
and shall give il honcefOrtLa place OF It's
own in tins story. 1t was a pale-green
/ bottle of orjiuaTy size and shape it had
rassed through many hands, and had
| been ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS scenes OF
/ great diversity since last 1t stood III the
| spirit merchants yard. II was, In
| short. the bottle which had stood in
the window of the old alchemist's stu
/ do. The ablutiOnaTy rites to which 1t
had been subjected had not dissolved
the minute cOlorless PARTICLES into
which its deadly contents had scrys-
tallized under the suns warmth.
/ They still chung to the sides of and
! bottom of the bottle, as potent as be-
fore of swift and horrible destruction.
Spirit would have dissolved item i'll a
few seconds water touched them not.
This bottle, then, WAS carried pres
emily with its companions to an upper
room in the SUPPLEMENTARY establish
ment. where the air was weighted with
the OdOr Of rich liquors and processes
beautiful in their delicacy and mystery
were performed by talented and re-
| spectable persons during the hours
from nine TO six. Here, when all WAS
! urepared. The Bottle received an eX-
ceediDgly choice blend of old liqueur-
brandy. 1t was then corked, sealed,
labelled, and properly bestowed IN
another department Of the house.
1t remained there during some
weeks. when It was once more re-
moved, in the company of eleven others,
TO the well-chosen cellar OF Mr.. Theo-
dorc, the wealthy and distinguished
amateur They came under the alice
tionate care OF Mr.. Dimmick, the but
Ter. These bottles arrive most OPP
poliunely, said Mr.. Dimmick to him
self as he unpacked them and 50 in
fact they did, for Mr.. Theodore was
giving, at the md of the week, one of
tie graceful suppers he so much AFFECT
cd TO tie members Of "a liberal profess
sion. Twenty actors, the most re-
nownod in London, would appear at
LIS board at midnight on the following
Saturday, Tor the invitations had been
ccepted to man.
Preceded by his pantryman, who car
ried the case upon his shoulders, Mr.
Dimmick descended the steps OF the